Despite the public perception of some of these jobs as impressive and rewarding, some have less-than-stellar salaries and frankly lousy hiring prospects. Others come with so much on-the-job stress that the six-figure income barely seems worth it, particularly when the work involves the safety and well-being of others.

And here’s the dirty dozen, which may stir up some debate:

Advertising account executive

Flight attendant

Photojournalists

Real estate agent

Stockbroker

Architect

Attorney

Commercial airline pilot

Psychiatrist

Physician

Surgeon

Senior corporate executive

Check out the full article for the explanations for including each job on the list.

Signs of the times

Work-life balance, job stress, the current economy, and the cost of higher education figure into the list: Three jobs are in healthcare and require an M.D. Also, becoming an attorney requires three years of law school (four if attending part-time) to earn a J.D., often at a high price tag.

In addition, speaking from my own interests, these are two occupational areas (healthcare and law) where workplace bullying is quite common, although, concededly, more often than not the doctors and lawyers are aggressors more than targets.

It’s noteworthy that seemingly glamorous “fly the world” jobs of commercial airline pilot and flight attendant make the list. The airline biz isn’t what it used to be; during the past decade, salary & benefit cuts and airplanes packed with stressed out passengers have become the norm.

Tougher related inquiries: If these jobs aren’t so great, then what fields do we recommend for people who are looking to make a career or vocational switch? Where are the good jobs with decent pay and working conditions? These are hard questions in the age of the Great Recession.